Podlachia

After breakfast, we’ll collect our luggage and head to the stables. We’ll check horse-rider matches, saddle up, and set off into the embrace of the Knyszyn Forest. Today we have some 21 km ahead of us. To begin with, we’ll ride through the town, passing by the Orthodox monastery – one of the most important cultural sites in Podlachia. Then we’ll descend towards the Supraśl River and disappear into the pine forest. Interestingly, in the area we’ll be riding through, archaeologists discovered the burial site of a hunter from… 6,000 years ago. Along the way, we’ll make a short stop by an ancient oak tree, a memorial site connected with the January Uprising. Around midday, we’ll stop for a two-hour break with lunch at a charming farm in Surażkowo. There, we’ll have a rare chance to get acquainted with Kladruber horses. This breed was developed at the stud farm in Kladruby nad Labem, founded in 1572 by Emperor Maximilian II, and in the Czech Republic it is treated as a national treasure. Kladrubers, standing over 170 cm and weighing more than 700 kg, are now among the heaviest warmblood horses in existence. They were classic carriage horses and to this day are perfectly suited to driving. Our host drives two-, four-, and even six-horse teams. Then we’ll continue on our way. We’ll pass a lovely little Orthodox church “drowned” in the forest at Łaźnie, as well as the charming settlement of Pieczonka, before following the edge of the “Bahno w Borkach” peat-bog reserve. After roughly another 10 kilometres, we’ll reach Uroczysko Borki, where two atmospheric wooden cottages with shingle roofs will be waiting for us, along with a lovely host serving a delicious dinner. We’ll watch the sun set and mist rise over the wide meadows by the Supraśl River.

After an early breakfast, we’ll set off on the next stage of the journey. Today’s route is around 30 km. First, we’ll ride to Radunin, with its beautiful wooden buildings typical of a Podlachian village. A bit later, we’ll reach the forest reservoir of Wyżary, where we’ll stop for a break and a meal. After some rest, we’ll get back in the saddle and ride on to the hidden woodland village of Józefowo. Most of today’s route runs through the wild heart of the Knyszyn Forest. We’ve got a good chance of coming across deer, but also wolves, moose, or even bison – after all, this forest is their refuge. Part of the route will follow the Napoleonic Trail and the January Uprising Trail. The retreat of Napoleon’s troops under pressure from the Russian army in the winter of 1812, and the January Uprising of 1863, are two events that left a deep mark on local memory. Soldiers’ graves, battle sites, encampments, routes taken by Napoleon’s army and insurgent units – all of this can still be found in the landscape, as well as in place names and stories passed down from generation to generation. Towards evening, we’ll reach the charming and incredibly picturesque village of Skroblaki, tucked away deep in the forest. It’s a classic linear village, with wooden houses lining both sides of a cobbled road, wells in the yards, calling cranes in a nearby patch of scrub, and a solid wall of forest just beyond the farm buildings. We’ll settle into a restored, typical house for Podlachia in Skroblaki, which will be our base for the next two days, and then sit down together for dinner.

We’ve got a slightly shorter riding day ahead of us. The route is around 20 km, but there are plenty of interesting highlights along the way. After breakfast, we’ll saddle up and head straight to Kruszyniany – the home and “capital” of Polish Tatars. Once there, we’ll have the chance to visit the oldest preserved Tatar mosque in Poland, as well as the mizar, the Tatar cemetery. We’ll have lunch at the famous Tatarska Jurta restaurant, tasting traditional Tatar dishes. Once both body and soul are well fed, we’ll continue on our way. We’ll ride onto the Ecumenical Trail, a 5-km route circling the Ozierany reservoir. The trail reflects and commemorates the religious and cultural diversity of the region: the Tatars, Jews, and Orthodox Christians who once lived here. The Ecumenical Trail is a collection of monuments, shrines, and crosses characteristic of each faith, and at the same time a route full of beautiful scenery. Towards evening, we’ll return to Skroblaki. There, besides a delicious dinner, a sauna will be waiting for us – a perfect chance to relax, unwind, and soak up the Podlachian atmosphere.

Today is all about adventures “on the border” – literally, metaphorically, and in more ways than one. We’ve got around 25 kilometres on horseback ahead of us, and along the way we’ll come face to face with the reality of the “edge of the world”. We’ll ride along the Polish-Belarusian border, which is also the external border of the European Union. On the way, we’ll see little borderland villages tucked away along the Świsłocz River: Bobrowniki, Chomontowce, Rudaki, and Łosiniany. Visiting them always feels as though time has stood still and we’ve somehow been zapped back to the 19th century. But the realities of the present day will catch up with us too: we’ll almost certainly come across Border Guard patrols. No worries, though – it’s both safe there and we’re not breaking any rules. We stay in touch with the Border Guard and know exactly where we’re allowed to move freely in this area. In the evening, we’ll return to Skroblaki, sit down for dinner, and then move over to the bonfire for stories and evening chats.

This day marks the start of our return journey from the eastern borderlands towards Supraśl. We begin with a long, sandy, straight path – perfect for some joyful cantering. After 8 kilometres, it turns into a causeway running between wide fish ponds, which is a sure sign that we’ve reached Piłatowszczyzna. Next, we’ll ride into Słuczanka, a long village with a cobbled street and beautiful wooden houses, many of which have benches out front where you can still spot locals sitting and resting. Soon after that, we’ll reach Waliły – the home village and place of residence of the famous painter Leon Tarasewicz, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, who not only creates art there but also breeds ornamental chickens that have won titles at many national and international shows. Then we’ll disappear once again into the dense forest of the Knyszyn wilderness, and through the village of Pieszczaniki we’ll make our way to Załuki, where dinner and an overnight stay await us at Stajnia Charyzma. There’ll also be an opportunity to visit a well-known breeder of cold-blooded horses. We’ll get to know the Sokółka conservation breed, native to Podlachia, which remains the main breeding region for these horses.

After breakfast, we set off again. From Załuki we head towards Jakubin, a place that today exists only as a name on the map – all that remains there are the ruins of the estate once owned by Jakub Sakowicz. After a short stretch along a forest road, we’ll reach the most beautiful, most interesting, and most demanding section of the whole ride: the St John’s Hills, the highest chain of moraine hills in the Knyszyn Forest. We’ll pass by Królowy Most, known from the Polish ”U Pana Boga za piecem” film series. Along the way, we’ll stop for a one-hour break with lunch and a chance to enjoy the beautiful views. After the meal, we continue on, still surrounded by the rich and varied forests of the Knyszyn wilderness. Once we pass the forest village of Cieliczanka and cover another 4 km, Supraśl will come into view, with the towers of its Catholic and Orthodox churches rising above it. A little later, we’ll reach the stables. There we’ll say goodbye to our horses and bring our Podlachian adventure to an end.